Angela Bassett on Whitney Biopic Backlash: ‘Controversy Can Be Good’

Angela Bassett, who came up short in her bid for an Emmy Monday night, was asked on the red carpet about the controversy surrounding the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic, which she is directing for Lifetime.

As previously reported, Whitney’s mother Cissy is not happy with the production, saying producers have moved forward despite objections from the family. “No one connected with this movie knew Whitney or anything about her relationship with Bobby. …I find it difficult to believe people who knew and supposedly loved her would participate in a movie about her done by folks who didn’t know her.”

However, Bassett is adamant the controversy will be good for business, telling Billboard.com, “Controversy can be good. It can pique your interest.”

She added of her work on the project, “It felt like it was flowing from the beginning. Except me with the learning curve, you know. Coming from one side of the camera to the other.”

Yaya DaCosta stars as the late singer in the film, titled “I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story.”

Bassett received an Emmy nomination for her role in “American Horror Story: Coven,” but lost Monday night to her cast mate Kathy Bates.